If you don’t proactively focus on the control input
but try to perform this step by merely watching
the plane, you will invariably take out too much
elevator and end up flat-spotting the top of the
loop (and end up with a poorer result than if you
left things alone). Remember, if you do take out
too much or too little elevator over the top of a
loop, fiddling with it will only further complicate
the maneuver while drawing more attention to
the error. Thus, you are better served to commit
to whatever adjustment you made—even if it’s
incorrect—and try to learn from the result so
that you can do it better next time. In this way,
aerobatic practice is akin to a normal flight—no
one remembers the earlier flaws when you finish
strong and grease the landing!

The elevator is then proactively returned on
the back side of the loop to the fixed amount
that you started the loop with. By trusting your
inputs and refraining from fiddling, the results
will prove so consistent that you might also
detect your loops consistently become tighter
approaching the finish. In that case, aim to
slightly reduce your elevator input approaching
the bottom of the loop (starting near 4:00 or

8:00) to avoid “hooking” the finish.

Note: As a rule, proficient pilots greatlysimplify their flying by having only two “pulls”:the baseline amount we automatically pull whenperforming loops, and a somewhat larger inputwhen pulling more assertively into and outof vertical and 45-degree lines. When I teachthe latter, I encourage my students to targetslightly more elevator than what they normallyloop with. If we like the radius, that’s the inputwe’ll target in those scenarios until it becomesautomatic.

Rolls

Another example of proactive control is adding
the elevator push during the inverted segment
of a roll to prevent an altitude drop. The first step
is to recognize that the only time the push is
needed is through the inverted portion of the
roll, and it should be removed soon after the
plane has rolled past inverted. Thus, unless it’s
a super-slow roll, the push should last no
longer than the time it takes to apply a smooth
“in-out” input (Figure 2).

The next step is to recognize that there is
a specific amount of push input that will keep
the roll level every time. And since the push is
a precision refinement, the aim is to use the
minimal amount of elevator needed to get the
job done. That is, you’re not looking for the nose
to pitch up, but rather, you should be seeking
to identify the push input that keeps the plane
from dropping irrespective of the fuselage.

As quickly as the airplane rolls throughinverted, there usually isn’t enough time duringthe roll to adjust the amount of push if it provesto be incorrect. Indeed, if you did attempt toadjust it, you’d likely end up turning a slightmistake into a worse mess. Hence, if you targeta 1/4-inch push and it proves to be too much,make a mental note to push 1/8 inch next timerather than meddling with it. The point is thatthe only way to truly fix the wrong input is togo back in time and start over. So instead ofmaking it worse or becoming dejected, turn themistake into a learning opportunity!

Reactive pilots invariably struggle to
consolidate the push because, each time,
the results are different. But as long as you
recognize that the push is a trust exercise, with
attention focused on the control input, it won’t
take long to consolidate the muscle memory
that will enable you to consistently perform this
step without having to think about it.

Note: I will occasionally have a student with
a bad habit of trying to react to the plane, thus
causing him to repeatedly hold the push too
long. So I’ll have him perform a series of rolls
looking down at his fingers while I watch the
plane and call out when to briefly push. After
the other students in the class confirm that the
rolls were nearly perfect, everyone is convinced
that the key is focusing on the input. I’ll make
the same point with round loops except that
I will perform the loop without looking at the
plane and my students will tell me when the
plane reaches 10:00 and 2:00 to trigger my
elevator adjustments. When it’s over, I usually

Briefly push forward
elevator (in-out) as the
airplane rolls through
inverted. The objective
is to determine the
input that consistently
keeps the majority of
your rolls level through
inverted.

The objective of refinements, like the push through inverted, is to input
the minimum amount needed to prevent a deviation. Fliers who neglect
to focus on the input but try to gauge the elevator on watching the plane
tend to keep adding more and/or hold in the elevator too long, thus
forcing the plane off heading and into an outside barrel roll.